The martial arts film is a staple of genre cinema. There is something primal about watching heroes overcome insurmountable odds with nothing but their bare hands and determination. The fight choreography that calls to mind brutality mixed with the beauty of a well-planned dance sequence and near-mythic quality to elements that make up the plotting of the films in the genre ( martial arts films are rarely subtle) have caused them to appeal to people from all walks of life.
The genre has always had people who pushed it forward. in the 70's it was the late Bruce Lee who pushed the style to worldwide acclaim. Following in the wake of Lee's popularity, Japanese stuntman/actor Sonny Chiba raised the bar for the level of violence these films contained to near cartoonish levels. Into the 1980's Jackie Chan used death-defying stunt work that revolutionized the industry. He was followed by Jet Li whose collaborations with Yuen Woo Ping, became wildly popular due to their intricate fight choreography. Then the work of both Chan and Li was a huge influence on the bone-crunching, stunt-heavy films of Thai action star Tony Jaa.
All of those luminaries had an influence on the popular Indonesian action films THE RAID parts 1 and 2. The RAID series pushed the boundaries of stunt work, fight choreography, and on-screen violence and fans of the genre lapped it up. These two brilliant and bloody films became the new high water mark for martial arts films and many were left crestfallen when it was announced that plans for a third chapter in the series had been shelved indefinitely.
Well fans of that series and martial films, in general, have a reason to rejoice now. Director Timo Tjahjanto's (KILLERS) latest film, THE NIGHT COMES FOR US, not only serves as a more than worthy companion to the RAID series but pushes the martial arts film genre forward again all while being one of the year's best films period.
The plot of THE NIGHT COMES FOR US is fairly standard action film fare. THE RAID's Joe Taslim plays "Ito", one of six top enforcers for the South East Asian Triad, these enforcers are referred to as "the Six Seas". They are brought in when problems need swift and brutal solutions. After wiping out an entire village because a few of the villagers skimmed money from the Triad, Ito discovers a young child has survived the slaughter and instead of finishing her off as his bosses wish, he has a crisis of conscience and escapes with the girl vowing to get her to safety. The Triad does not look kindly on people who disobey them and it isn't long before Ito and his remaining friends are fighting the remaining enforcers in an effort to save the child... and their own lives.
Like most martial films, the plot is really just a simple device to get us to the on-screen mayhem but to their credit, Tjahjanto, Taslim plus Iko Uwais, and Julie Estelle (also from THE RAID series) do strong work even in the non-action scenes that keep the film entertaining in the scant few moments when the screen isn't filled with jaw-dropping action. The world that has been set up by the script feels layered and lived in and will leave you wanting to know more about this strange criminal underworld and it's colorful, yet realistic, inhabitants. For example, if this film doesn't leave you wanting a film that focuses more on Ito's disgraced, disabled friend, "White Boy Bobby" (played by Zack Lee also from... you guessed it: THE RAID series) then I'm not sure Asian action films are for you.
As I stated before, the action in THE NIGHT COMES FOR US is jaw-dropping. While it can be most easily compared to THE RAID series, and based on its pedigree that seems obvious, what really sets the film apart is in the urgency and brutality on display. Tjahjanto first gained attention as a horror film director and it shows in the level of gore on display. The realistic violence in the fights is so vast that it nearly becomes overwhelming. When people square off, real damage is inflicted to them.
Forget the relatively "safe" violence of the films of Jackie and Jet or even the absurd over the top blood effects of Chiba's Karate films. THE NIGHT COMES FOR US shows us the brutality that would occur if these sorts of martial arts conflicts happened in the real world. The film is a meat grinder where characters you truly like can be chewed up and spit out at a moments notice. It would all be so bleak if the action wasn't so completely thrilling. The struggle feels so genuine that when Ito defeats a foe or escapes certain death it becomes a fist-pumping moment because the stakes feel very real at all times.
To put it simply, THE NIGHT COMES FOR US may be the most violent martial arts film ever made and it most definitely has already entered the pantheon of all-time great films in that genre. Fans of on-screen fighting owe it to themselves to check this one out on Netflix as soon as possible.
- Matthew Essary
(aka "Wheels")
